World Celebration Gardens opened to guests at Disney World's Epcot park on Tuesday.
Fittingly, Dec. 5 is the late Walt Disney's birthday, and the gardens' focal point is a statue of the Disney founder titled "Walt the Dreamer."
It depicts Disney in his later years, the company said, when he was mulling the Florida Project (what would become Disney World) and the idea that ultimately became Epcot. The statue features him seated on a bench, hands clasped, gazing toward World Showcase with a smile.
World Celebrations Gardens was dedicated on Dec. 4. Photo Credit: Abigail Nilsson/Disney
The gardens are located between Spaceship Earth and the World Showcase neighborhood. They are part of a years-long overhaul of Epcot and are located next to the recently opened Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana.
On Dec. 4, Epcot vice president Kartika Rodriguez, joined by Imagineer Scott Mallwitz and the Voices of Liberty singing group, dedicated the World Celebration Gardens. Also on hand were cast members who received the Walt Disney Legacy Award, the highest honor a Disney parks employee can receive.